By Andrew L. Jaffee

“It’s 2009. Is it so much to ask for freedom and democracy in Iran?” So said Iranian singer Mamak Khadem during an interlude between songs at her performance this weekend at the “¡Globalquerque!” annual international music festival. She spoke sincerely, calmly, and eloquently, yet with a hint of urgency. “We must honor those brave Iranians who peacefully filled the streets of Tehran in June to plead for democracy,” said Khadem. She received a standing ovation.

Observing the ¡Globalquerque! crowd in general, and those attending Khadem’s performance specifically, my sixth sense told me that majority of the festival’s attendants lean Left politically. Note that I’m not trying to paint with too broad of a brush, as the crowd was quite diverse, with many Hispanics, Native Americans, East Indians, Anglos, etc., in attendance. The fact is that Khadem received multiple standing ovations for her short pro-democracy-in-Iranian blurb as well as for her outstanding musical performance.

Khadem was adorned simply in a traditional Persian dress, bare-footed, with no head covering — accoutrement which would drive Iran’s current ruling class to violence. She sang a list of traditional Persian, Kurdish, Baluch, and Turkish laments, all beautiful and haunting. Her band had a bit of fun with some playful banter.

My main point is that if respectable, honest, and talented people like Khadem keep bringing their message of democratic transformation in Iran to Western audiences, minds will be changed. This delusion that, “that’s just the way things are [multi-culturally] done in Iran” — e.g., police beating up peaceful protesters with motorcycle chains — is an idiotic notion. Perhaps people will more and more see that the foreign policies of Obama and European nations advocating “engagement” with Iran’s terror-masters are a complete sham.

As I spoke with Khadem and her dulcimer player after their performance, she emphasized that Westerners should not conflate the policies of President Ahmadinejad with the sentiments of the average Iranian.